diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index b4fb6cf981..a3a514136b 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -23929,6 +23929,7 @@ virDomainDiskSourceFormatPrivateData(virBufferPtr buf,
  * virDomainDiskSourceFormat:
  * @buf: output buffer
  * @src: storage source definition to format
+ * @element: name to use for the top-level element (often "source")
  * @policy: startup policy attribute value, if necessary
  * @attrIndex: the 'index' attribute of <source> is formatted if true
  * @flags: XML formatter flags
@@ -23940,6 +23941,7 @@ virDomainDiskSourceFormatPrivateData(virBufferPtr buf,
 int
 virDomainDiskSourceFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                           virStorageSourcePtr src,
+                          const char *element,
                           int policy,
                           bool attrIndex,
                           unsigned int flags,
@@ -24020,7 +24022,7 @@ virDomainDiskSourceFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (virDomainDiskSourceFormatPrivateData(&childBuf, src, flags, xmlopt) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (virXMLFormatElement(buf, "source", &attrBuf, &childBuf) < 0)
+    if (virXMLFormatElement(buf, element, &attrBuf, &childBuf) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     return 0;
@@ -24066,7 +24068,8 @@ virDomainDiskBackingStoreFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
 
     virBufferAsprintf(&childBuf, "<format type='%s'/>\n",
                       virStorageFileFormatTypeToString(backingStore->format));
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, backingStore, 0, false, flags, xmlopt) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, backingStore, "source", 0, false,
+                                  flags, xmlopt) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     if (virDomainDiskBackingStoreFormat(&childBuf, backingStore, xmlopt, flags) < 0)
@@ -24229,7 +24232,8 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormatMirror(virBufferPtr buf,
                               virDomainDiskMirrorStateTypeToString(disk->mirrorState));
 
     virBufferEscapeString(&childBuf, "<format type='%s'/>\n", formatStr);
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, disk->mirror, 0, true, flags, xmlopt) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, disk->mirror, "source", 0, true,
+                                  flags, xmlopt) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     if (virDomainDiskBackingStoreFormat(&childBuf, disk->mirror, xmlopt, flags) < 0)
@@ -24329,8 +24333,8 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (def->src->auth && !def->src->authInherited)
         virStorageAuthDefFormat(buf, def->src->auth);
 
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(buf, def->src, def->startupPolicy, true,
-                                  flags, xmlopt) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(buf, def->src, "source", def->startupPolicy,
+                                  true, flags, xmlopt) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     /* Don't format backingStore to inactive XMLs until the code for
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 01c22d8cc3..fa0756b634 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3061,6 +3061,7 @@ int virDomainDefFormatInternal(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
 int virDomainDiskSourceFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                               virStorageSourcePtr src,
+                              const char *element,
                               int policy,
                               bool attrIndex,
                               unsigned int flags,
diff --git a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
index 36c328f692..eaa9b3c5e6 100644
--- a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ virDomainSnapshotDiskDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     if (disk->src->format > 0)
         virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<driver type='%s'/>\n",
                               virStorageFileFormatTypeToString(disk->src->format));
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(buf, disk->src, 0, false, 0, xmlopt) < 0)
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(buf, disk->src, "source", 0, false, 0,
+                                  xmlopt) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -2);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 960aaff3c7..db67fe2193 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2360,7 +2360,7 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateXMLFormatNBDMigrationSource(virBufferPtr buf,
                       virStorageTypeToString(src->type),
                       virStorageFileFormatTypeToString(src->format));
 
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, src, 0, false,
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&childBuf, src, "source", 0, false,
                                   VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_STATUS, xmlopt) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/tests/qemublocktest.c b/tests/qemublocktest.c
index c221b8af30..21db3e4881 100644
--- a/tests/qemublocktest.c
+++ b/tests/qemublocktest.c
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ testBackingXMLjsonXML(const void *args)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&buf, jsonsrc, 0, false, 0, NULL) < 0 ||
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&buf, jsonsrc, "source", 0, false, 0,
+                                  NULL) < 0 ||
         !(actualxml = virBufferContentAndReset(&buf))) {
         fprintf(stderr, "failed to format disk source xml\n");
         return -1;
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetest.c b/tests/virstoragetest.c
index 4f23511240..ef16b3c6e0 100644
--- a/tests/virstoragetest.c
+++ b/tests/virstoragetest.c
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ testBackingParse(const void *args)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&buf, src, 0, false, 0, NULL) < 0 ||
+    if (virDomainDiskSourceFormat(&buf, src, "source", 0, false, 0, NULL) < 0 ||
         !(xml = virBufferContentAndReset(&buf))) {
         fprintf(stderr, "failed to format disk source xml\n");
         goto cleanup;